MTR's Management System Has Collapsed: Tony Tse

Architectural sector lawmaker Tony Tse has called on the government to get cracking on fixing the MTR Corporation's management and governance problems, saying the rail operator's role as a regulator of its infrastructure projects is now "bankrupt".

The government revealed late last month that unapproved changes were found at two approach tunnels and a set of secondary tracks at the MTR's Hung Hom station for the Shatin-to-Central Link, and a large chunk of critical building records had gone missing.

While a government-appointed Commission of Inquiry will submit an interim report on its findings over shoddy works at the station’s platforms by the end of this month, the pro-establishment lawmaker said the government should not wait any longer.

Speaking after attending a radio programme, he stressed an immediate, full-scale review of the MTR's monitoring, management and governance system is needed.

“The whole system of the MTRC has to be reviewed, particularly regarding the role of the Board of Directors. There are a number of directors appointed by the government. Look at their role, what sort of performance are expected from these directors… and also the management teams of the corporation, whether they are telling all the facts and information to the board. All these sort of things have to be reviewed because at the moment, the system seems to have cracked down”, Tse said,

He added, for example, that the Highways Department could send staff to oversee MTR projects on-site.

Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan, meanwhile, urged her pro-establishment colleagues to support her motion to invoke LegCo's Powers and Privileges Ordinance to set up a select committee to probe the MTR's construction scandals at the Hung Hom station.

Chan said even though an inquiry is now looking into the matter, its scope of investigation is limited and it doesn't have the power to find out who was responsible for the faults.

“The Commission of Inquiry has no duty or no power to investigate into the civil and criminal obligations of different peoples’ acts. However, for the select committee of Legco, we can do much further. And at the same time, the legislators have our own power to determine the terms of reference, and determine how far and how deep we can go”, she said.

Chan added that she disagrees with some pro-establishment lawmakers’ argument that there won't be enough time for the select committee to finish its work by the end of the Legco term next year.

She said past experience shows that it could take just three months for the committee to complete its probe and submit a report.